System and method for detecting spall initiation and defining end of life in engine components

• US 9,205,845 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Uluyol, Onder, Hickenbottom, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwon, John
• Application Number:
  US13/901,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 701/101, 701/107, 701/114, 73/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/00 Details of control systems for road vehicle drive control not related to the control of a particular sub-unit , e.g. process diagnostic or vehicle driver interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2200/04 Detecting debris, chips, swarfs
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2250/32 Inductive
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 29/00 Special means in lubricating arrangements or systems providing for the indication or detection of undesired conditions; Use of devices responsive to conditions in lubricating arrangements or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2858 metal particles

Abstract

A system and method are provided for detecting a spall in an engine. The vehicle, for example, may include, but is not limited to an engine, an oil debris sensor coupled to the engine, a communications system, and a processor communicatively coupled to the oil debris sensor and the communications system. The processor may be configured to increment a counter when the oil debris sensor detects a particle over a predetermined size, increment the counter when a mass of a plurality of particles under the predetermined size exceeds a predetermined mass threshold, transmit, via the communications system, a first message when the counter exceeds a predetermined counter threshold, and reset the counter after predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

an oil debris sensor coupled to the engine;

a communications system; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the oil debris sensor and the communications system, the processor configured to;

increment a counter when the oil debris sensor detects a particle over a predetermined size;

increment the counter when a mass of a plurality of particles under the predetermined size exceeds a predetermined mass threshold;

transmit, via the communications system, a first message when the counter exceeds a predetermined counter threshold; and

reset the counter when the counter does not exceed the predetermined counter threshold within a predetermined amount of time.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine, when the counter exceeds the predetermined counter threshold, an oil debris state based upon a debris particle count, a debris mass count, a debris particle count rate and a debris mass rate detected by the oil debris sensor.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the debris mass count according to:

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the debris particle count according to:

5. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the debris particle count rate according to:

6. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the debris mass rate according to:

7. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit, via the communications system, a second message when the oil debris state indicates that a spall is in an incubation phase.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the oil debris state indicates that the spall is in the incubation phase when a sum of the debris particle count, the debris mass count, the debris particle count rate and the debris mass rate is 0.5.

9. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit, via the communications system, a third message when the oil debris state indicates that a spall is in a steady growth phase.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the oil debris state indicates that the spall is in the steady growth phase when a sum of the debris particle count, the debris mass count, the debris particle count rate and the debris mass rate is 0.9.

11. A method for detecting a spall in an engine, comprising:

incrementing a counter when an oil debris sensor detects a particle over a predetermined size;

incrementing the counter when a collective mass of a plurality of particles under the predetermined size exceeds a predetermined mass threshold;

transmitting, via a communications system, a first message when the counter exceeds a predetermined counter threshold; and

resetting the counter when the counter does not exceed the predetermined counter threshold within a predetermined amount of time.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining, when the counter exceeds the predetermined counter threshold, an oil debris state based upon a debris particle count, a debris mass count, a debris particle count rate and a debris mass rate detected by the oil debris sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, determining the debris mass count according to:

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising, determining the debris particle count according to:

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising, determining the debris particle count rate according to:

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising, determining the debris mass rate according to:

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising, transmitting, via the communications system, a second message when the oil debris state indicates that the spall is in an incubation phase.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the oil debris state indicates that the spall is in the incubation phase when a sum of the debris particle count, the debris mass count, the debris particle count rate and the debris mass rate is 0.5.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising, transmitting, via the communications system, a third message when the oil debris state indicates that the spall is in a steady growth phase.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the oil debris state indicates that the spall is in the steady growth phase when a sum of the debris particle count, the debris mass count, the debris particle count rate and the debris mass rate is 0.9.